Hybrid working technology - at home and in the office

As frequently noted, COVID-19 has impacted every single aspect of our lives, especially at work. Hybrid working appears to be imminent, with many businesses moving away from traditional working life and instead, adopting a hybrid working model, combining both remote working and in-office working.

However, to be successful, businesses must be equipped with the right attitude and technology to achieve seamless communication and collaboration in and out of the office. The pandemic has most definitely streamlined digital transformation in the office and as this technology already existed, it simply involves employers leveraging it.

On a recent episode of Midwich Live, our hosts, Jenny Hicks, Head of Technology at Midwich Group and Christopher Neto, AV professional, discussed how technology will assist a hybrid workforce at home and in the office.

There will be a transitional period for businesses to adopt hybrid working

Although most businesses will share the same goal – creating a shared remote and in-office working space that facilitates simple and easy communication. It’s important to note that every company will require a somewhat different toolset - perhaps automated speaker tracking for remote workers or sound masking for office workers. Therefore, this transitional period is a prime time to learn how people have developed their own working style at home, and how this can be bought to the office.

Hybrid working must facilitate communication and collaboration 

Hot desking, huddle rooms and online booking services such as ROOMZ will likely be staple components of a hybrid working environment. Taking the place of face-to-face interactions, virtual meeting rooms will be a powerful driving force for collaboration and communication between in-office and remote workers.

Although some people will be in the office, many meetings will still take place virtually so employees will be required to video call into meetings.

Creating more meeting rooms with stellar audio and visual technology will aid flawless communication, while interactive technology will promote collaboration. All meeting rooms will be set up differently, but the focus remains the same – the technology should be easy to use and certain to work. Employees will need to be certain that their equipment will work from both ends, to create a high-quality meeting experience, as if everyone were in the same room.

For more tips, check out how to successfully host a virtual meeting. 

Specific focus should be placed on the remote user rather than the office worker. Moving forward, tolerance for the camera off, dogs barking and other distractions will diminish. Investing in good quality equipment like headsets, webcams and decent lighting will give remote workers the confidence to contribute to the office.

Primarily, remote workers should be able to do their job the same as if they were in the office. Therefore, they need a high-quality setup that will allow them to connect in meetings, collaborate in real-time and maximize their productivity levels. A cloud-based file system is also important so that workers can access important documents wherever they are. As hybrid workers may switch between their mobiles, laptops and desktops in the office - file-sharing platforms ensure that everyone is on a level playing field.

“It’s so important for us all right now to focus on the remote user and not the in-office user, so that no one gets left behind on this journey”.

- Jenny Hicks, Head of Technology at Midwich Group

How DTEN GO and DTEN MATE could upgrade your meetings

Jenny and Chris were joined by special guest, Doug Remington from DTEN to discuss how meetings should be easy and seamless. Doug highlighted the fact that everyone should be able to focus on their job without worrying about how to set up technology or technology failing.

Doug introduced the award-winning DTEN GO and DTEN MATE, an all-in-one device that has been exclusively designed for Zoom, a familiar program that has been the go-to for many people in the wake of the pandemic. Easy to use technology will be a key factor in a thriving hybrid workforce and using platforms that workers have become familiar with, like Zoom, will ensure that meetings go ahead flawlessly.

“The core of what we do is about making the meeting experience as simple and seamless as possible. It really is so people can focus on their jobs and what they want to do and not worry about the tech”.

- Doug Remington, GM/Head of EMEA at DTEN

The lightweight box has everything you need inside, set up in minutes to simplify meeting paces and replace the need for external components and dozens of cables. The 4K camera ensures a lifelike video and crystal-clear audio, just like a face-to-face meeting, for every member. With the whiteboarding feature, members can also share content wirelessly, illustrate ideas and annotate presentations in real-time. 

And because it’s so easy - there is no need to rebuild the whole office, the DTEN GO can be hung on the wall like a TV. The DTEN MATE can be used as a control panel or screen mirror and used on the go around the office.

Midwich Live is aired the last Friday of every month and is streamed on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter and Periscope. Catch up on any missed episodes by clicking the button below.

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